Lisa,
There may be a couple of tie-ins. Do you know who Thomas or Ethel's parents were? I also have a Wilkey in my lineage. Kizziah L. Wilkey married my gg-grandfather Andrew Jackson Hunter (b.1844; son of Thomas Hunter, whose ancestors I'm looking for) in Rhea County of which Dayton is the county seat.

Kizziah (b.1848) was the daughter of Samuel and Cyntha (Hartley) Wilkey from Roane county. There are a mess of Wilkeys in that area.

You can check my website and see if you notice any connections. http://genes.hunterfromtexas.com